The invention relates to a dispenser for discharging flowable or other media which may be gaseous, pasty or liquid, preferably powdery. On dispensing the dispenser is held and simultaneously operated single-handedly. The medium is hauled by suction or inhalation. Thereby the pharmaceutical active substance contained therein may be inhaled or deposited on the mucous membrane of the patient""s nose. The dispenser may be made entirely of injection-molded or plastics parts.
An object is to provide a dispenser which obviates the draw-backs of known configurations. Another object is to permit microvolumetrical delivery. A further object is to provide a miniature dispenser, which i.e. can be single-handedly clasped and therewith entirely enveloped or covered. Still another object is to provide a dispenser which is simple to manufacture, assemble, handle, keep, or the like.
According to the invention the dispenser is suitable for accommodating a blister pack comprising exclusively two store chambers. The deep-drawn store cups and a deck plate thereof are made of a transparent plastics film or of a metal foil such as aluminum. The cup walls are substantially thinner than the foil deck, the thickness of which is less than half a millimeter. The cup openings are hermetically sealed by a film of plastics or metal foil, such as aluminum, which is thinner as compared to the cup and deck. The planar sealing film or foil is thermoplastic-welded to the planar deck. The sealing foil forms in a knurled pattern protuberances which in forming corresponding indents are undetachably melted to the deck. Beyond the deck""s rear side only the cups protrude, thus lending themselves to good support. The clearance between the cups is at least 1.5 times larger than the cup diameter which is greater than the cup depth. The axes spacing between the cups is less than 30 mm or 25 mm.
The dispenser has lateral external depressions or a waisting enabling each base body to be reliably gripped between thumb and index finger, e.g. when setting or twisting one base body relative to the other. Such depressions also form the remote pressure faces for axially shortening the dispenser.
The store cup is directly supported with respect to the base body with zones adjoining its margin rim with its outer circumference or with its bottom. Thus its positioning is precise. Thereby too the cup is protected against damage by support and shielding.
To precisely rotationally orient the two base bodies and the store body or blister pack relative to each other a snap connection or a resilient catch is provided. This latch acts likewise in the various mutual axial positions of these three bodies. The catch members may also overcomeably lock in one or more mutual axial positions of the three bodies. Each latched position is prevailable by a correspondingly high twist or axial input force. Apart from the locked positions the bodies are difficult to be mutually twisted due to increased friction. In the locked position yet a slight and more easily mobile rotative play is provided.
The initial or rest position for actuation lies between the rotation permitting position and the actuated end position. A latch needs to be overcome to transfer from the rest position to the rotation permitting position. This latch may be formed by mutually overlapping rims of the base bodies. In the rotation permitting position a captive stop prevents withdrawal. By exerting an increased force this stop too, namely a snap connection, is overcomeable to permit mutual separation of the base bodies. When moving from the rest position to the end position no latching resistance has to be overcome, but merely the rupture resistance of the foil seal and the frictional resistance between the base bodies. In this end position a freely protruding discharge stud is at least as long as the remainder of the dispenser.
The dispenser is tamper-proof to the extent that although a blister pack is to be inserted without altering or ruining the tamper-proof safeguard, the blister pack cannot be then opened. The safeguard fully surrounds a rim of that base body which externally overlaps. The safeguard is in dust-tight contact with this rim which does not overlap the other body in the latched position. Thus these bodies can be instantly mutually twisted without mutual axial motion once the safeguard has been detached. When the base bodies are then mutually perpendicularly oriented the blister pack or its reception is then freely visible. This is also the case when one of the two base bodies is made of a transparent or translucent material.
The blister pack is safeguarded from being extracted axially by positively acting means which can only be overcome by exerting an increased manual force. This safeguarding for firstly the blister pack and for secondly mutually the base bodies act independently of each other and of the tamperproof safeguard.
Including each of the cited safeguarding means and without the blister pack the dispenser comprises only two one-part components. No return spring is needed for mutually moving the components. Reference is made to the German patent application 197 04 849.8 (=PCT/EP 9800311) in including the features and effects thereof in the present invention.
The described or another dispenser is suitable for receiving and storing biological active substances over several weeks, months or years. These may be physiologically active substances such as hormonal active substances and/or active substances containing breakdown or fission products such as peptides from proteins. Such biological information transmitters when containing amino acids or other similar active substances may be highly sensitive to moisture. Therefore the substances are thus held in the dispenser in a pressure-proof or sealed chamber. This chamber is not opened until immediately before being discharged from the dispenser, e.g. by destroying a seal.